Four thousand eight hundred scholarships and counting...

National Honorary Board Members

Cal Ripken, Jr.
Cal Ripken is baseball's all-time IronMan. He retired from baseball in October, 2001 after 21 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles. His name appears in the record books repeatedly, most notably as one of only eight players in history to achieve 400 home runs and 3,000 hits. In 1995, Ripken broke Lou Gehrig's record for consecutive games played (2,130) and voluntarily ended his streak in 1998 after playing 2,632 consecutive games. Although he finished his career at third base, this future Hall of Famer is still best known for redefining the position of shortstop. http://www.ripkenbaseball.com/calripken/bio/
General Colin L. Powell, USA (Retired)
On January 20, 2001, General Powell was sworn in as the 65th Secretary of State, the first African-American to hold that position. General Powell was a professional soldier for 35 years during which time he held various positions and rose to the rank of 4-star General. His last military assignment, from October 1, 1989, to September 30, 1993, was as the 12th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest military position in the Department of Defense. Following his retirement from the Army, he wrote his best selling memoir, My American Journey. Since leaving the State Department in January of 2005, he has been lecturing around the world and helping to raise funds for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, DC and for the construction of an education center for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. General Powell is the Founder of the Colin Powell Policy Center at his alma mater, the City College of New York.
George Lucas
Chairman, Lucasfilm, Ltd.

George Lucas is one of the American film industry's most independent, financially successful directors and producers. In 1973, he formed his own company, Lucasfilm Ltd, where he wrote and directed the movie, American Graffiti, which won the Golden Globe and garnered five Academy Award nominations. His next venture was the hugely successful Star Wars films which broke all box office records and earned seven Academy Awards. Lucas also collaborated with Steven Spielberg to create the Indiana Jones series which made box office records of their own. In 1992, he received the Irving G. Thalberg Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in recognition of his lifetime achievement in the film industry. Today, Lucas is spearheading digital cinematography for movies and has been partially responsible for developing the new modern sound systems found in many movie theaters called the THX System.
Jerome Bettis
NBC Commentator-Football Night in America

Jerome "The Bus" Bettis is a former football running back for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers and is considered one of the best big backs of his era. He is the fifth leading rusher in NFL history. Jerome began his career at the University of Notre Dame in 1990; in 1993, the Los Angeles Rams drafted him in the first round pick of the NFL. After three years with the Rams, Bettis was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers where, in 2006, he ended his career on top with a Super Bowl win. Currently, Jerome has signed on as a studio commentator for NBC's new Football Night in America and he is very active in various humanitarian programs in his community.
Lou Brock
Regarded as one of baseball's finest players, Lou Brock played for the Chicago Cubs from 1961-1964 and the St. Louis Cardinals from 1964-1979. He helped the Cardinals win two World Series and he was the first player to steal 50 bases in one season. He went on to lead the National League in stolen bases breaking Ty Cobb;s career stolen base record in 1977. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985 and is the only baseball player to have an award named in his honor, The Lou Brock Award. Today Brock is a successful businessman and an Ordained Minister and Elder at the Abundant Life Fellowship Church in St. Louis.
Mark Victor Hansen
Author
With sales of over 100 million copies of Chicken Soup for the Soul, Mark Hansen is a publishing phenomenon and one of the most dynamic and compelling motivational speakers of our time. Mark's keynote messages of possibility, opportunity and action have helped create startling and powerful changes in more than 2 million people in 38 countries. He is a passionate philanthropist and humanitarian, who has been the recipient of numerous awards that honor his entrepreneurial spirit, philanthropic heart and business acumen. In addition to the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, Mark has written other bestselling books such as The One Minute Millionaire, Cracking the Millionaire Code and How To Make The Rest Of Your Life The Best Of Your Life.
Qunicy Jones
In his 50 plus year in show business, Quincy Jones is the all-time most nominated Grammy artist with a total of 77 nominations and 26 winning Grammys. He has won an Emmy, seven Oscars, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award and The Grammy Living Legend Award. He earned international acclaim as producer of the best selling single of all time "We Are The World", whose proceeds went to the famine in Africa, and he is also the producer of Michael Jackson's, "THRILLER"; the best selling album in the history of the recording industry. Today, Jones is busy running his company, Quincy Jones Entertainment; he is the founder of Vibe Magazine and owner of the publication Spin.
Samuel L. Jackson
Actor
Respectfully labeled as one of the hardest working actors in Hollywood, Jackson is an undisputed star as demonstrated in the fact that his films have grossed the most money in box office sales than any other actor in the history of filmmaking. He has made nearly 75 films and is perhaps best known for his roles in the movies PULP FICTION, JACKIE BROWN, SHAFT, and as Jedi Mace in the STAR WARS prequel trilogy, to name a few. In addition to receiving Best Actor nominations for both the Academy Award and Golden Globe Best, Samuel received the Best Actor Award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and on January 30th, 2006, he was honored with a hand and footprint ceremony at Grauman's Chinese Theatre; he is the 7th African American and 191st actor to be recognized in this manner.
Tony Dungy
Head Coach - Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts head football coach, Tony led his team to the Super Bowl playoffs in 2005. He is the NFL's winningest head coach from 1999-2004 and he joins Ted Marchibroda as the only coaches in club history to produce 10-plus victories and playoff berths in the first three seasons with the team. Dungy has earned widespread respect both on and off the field because of his high personal standards of ethics and behavior. He is very active in many community service organizations in Indianapolis as well as other cities in which he has coached.
Buzz Aldrin
Astronaut
On July 20, 1969, Buzz Aldrin piloted the lunar module during Apollo 11's historic, first manned lunar landing mission and became one of the first two humans to walk on the moon. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and is now retired from NASA and the Air Force. Today, Dr. Aldrin is still at the forefront of space exploration, he has founded his own rocket design company, Starcraft Boosters, Inc., and travels throughout the world lecturing about his latest concepts and ideas for exploring the universe.